Automatic selective doffing device for knitwear looping machines



Sept. 12, 1961 H. L. BEAMON 2,999,470 AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE DOFFING DEVICE FOR KNITWEAR LOOPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VE N TOR. Hay/am L. Bea/27017,

A TTORNEYS.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 L. BEAMON LECTIVE DOFFING DEVICE FOR KNITWEAR LOOPING MACHINES H. AUTOMATIC SE.

Sept. 12, 1961 Filed Aug. 24, 1959 I N VEN TOR. 1%14 271'4 A. 5.45177 0/ A TTORNEYS.

Sept. 12, 1961 H. L. BEAMON 2,999,470

AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE DOFFING DEVICE FOR KNITWEAR LOOPING MACHINES Filed Aug. 24, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 71 FL? 33 34 ii! I 36 34' I 5 i 7 INVENTOR. fi bm'ird A ed/77017,

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ATTORNEYS.

atent iiice Ziidhgild Patented Sept. 12, 1961 2,999,470 AUTOMATIC SELECTIVE DDFFING DEVICE FOR KNITWEAR LODPING MACHINES Howard L. Beamon, Winston-Salem, N.C., assignor to Hanes Hosiery Mills Company, Winston-Salem, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Aug. 24, 1959, Ser; No. 835,509 18 Claims. (Cl. 112*26} This invention relates to looping machines for knitwear, such as hosiery and the like, and particularly relates to attachments for dial looping machines of the type shown in De Spain Patent No. 2,056,563 whereby looped knitted articles may be automatically and selectively doiled from the points thereof.

In manufacturing circular knitwear, where the tubular blank is to be closed at one end, as for example in the manufacture of ladies seamless hosiery, the blank generally is closed by means of looping machines having a plurality of horizontal revolvable points upon which individual loops of the knitted articles are impaled. In the manufacture of ladies seamless hosiery, the tube is closed by looping the toe portion of the stocking. In such operation, the toe fabric of the stocking is flattened so that the loopers course is superimposed upon itself whereupon the individual superimposed loops of that course are impaled upon successive points of the looping machine. Because of the fine denier yarns used in knitting ladies hosiery, and because of the fineness of the loops in the hosiery fabric, it is essential to have careful selective inspection of the looped hosiery. Conventional methods of inspection merely involve the manual selection, by the looping machine operator, of a random stocking from among a certain number of those looped. Such manual selection is not completely reliable since, being left to the judgment and discretion of the machine operators, it is subject to human errors, for example, the infrequent selection of samples for inspection.

The chief object of this invention is to provide means for automatically dofiing or removing looped knitwear from conventional looping machines wherein selected samples of such knitwear are automatically segregated for the purposes of inspection.

A further object of this invention is to provide automatic means for dotfing or removing looped knitwear from conventional looping machines wherein manual handling of the knitwear is reduced to a A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment for knitwear looping machines whereby the specimens of the looped knitted articles which are to be inspected are automatically segregated from the remaining articles looped on the machine A further object of this invention is to provide an attachment for knitwear looping machines whereby a predetermined portion of the knitted articles looped on such machines are automatically selected and segregated for inspection purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a doifing attachment for knitwear looping machines having a plurality of revolvable points wherein such attachment includes a stripper element adjacent the points for removing looped knitted articles therefrom as the points revolve, and further including means automatically operative to retract the stripper element to permit selected looped articles to remain. on the points for subsequent removal for inspection.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in top plan of a conventional knitwear looping machine having an attachment embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows IIII in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view in front elevation taken as indicated by the angled arrows IIIIII in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views similar to FIG. 2 showing operation of the cam mechanism.

FIGS. 6 and 7 are front views in perspective of the attachment showing operation of the retractable stripper.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a preferred electrical system for the automatic operation of the attachment.

In the drawings, which disclose a preferred embodiment of this invention, there is shown a conventional knitwear looping machine 9 having the usual metal points 10 mounted horizontally on the normally clockwise revolvable dial ring 11. As shown, dial ring it is retained by the usualdial ring clamp 12 affixed to the stationary disc 13. The attachment of this invention preferably is mounted upon a radially disposed horizontal base plate or support 14 affixed to the dial ring clamp 12, or the stationary disc 13, or both, by means of a suitable screw 15., or a plurality of such screws. The base plate 14 is mounted on the looping machine 9 immediately following the conventional clipper mechanism (not shown) in the direction of rotation of the dial ring 11.

Base plate 14 has a vertically upstanding wall 16 formed along one side thereof, said wall 15- having a recess 17 formed therein (FIG. 2) for a purpose presently to be explained. Wall 16 is formed with a right angle extension 20 (FIG. 1) to which is integrally joined an L-shaped bracket 21 for supporting a solenoid 22 having a coil 23 and a retractable core 24. The solenoid core 24 is adaptedtobe retracted radially toward and away from the points 10, the recess 17 providing a clearance for the core for. this purpose.

In FIGS. 1-3, a knitted article, such as a stocking S, is shown as being partially impaled on the points 10 following travel of the stocking past the needle station of the machine. (not shown), where the stocking is closed by chain stitching, and past the clipper mechanism, where the connecting chain of stitches is severed between successive stockings.

Mounted on the base plate 14. is upstanding bracket 25 to which is pivotally supported a substantially radially disposed rocker arm 26 having a sensing element 27 formed at its outer end adjacent the points 11]. A coil spring 28 has its lower end aifixed adjacent the inner end 29 of the rocker. arm 26, and has its upper end affixed to a suitable support mounted on wall 16. As best shown in FIG. 4, spring 28-urges the inner end 29 of the rocker arm 26 upward so that said inner end 29 strikes and normally is held firmly against the lower end of an electrical contact 31 while the sensing element 27 normally is disposed in close proximity to the points 16. As a result of. this arrangement, when the looped knitted articles impaled on the points It) pass under the sensing element 27, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensing element is actuated upward with the result that the rocker arm 26 is oscillated. about its pivoton bracket '25 to depress the inner end 29 of the arm away from the contact 31, all in the manner asshown in FIG. 5.

The contact 31 is retained in an insulated support 30 mounted on plate 14, and is electrically connected, by means of conduits 32 and 33, through a circuit presently to be explained, to the coil 23 of solenoid 22. When the inner end 29 of the rocker arm 26 touches the lower end of contact 31, the electrical circuit to the solenoid 22 is completed and the solenoid coil 23 is energized with resultant retraction of the solenoid core 24 into the sole noid coil, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the sensing element 27 and the rocker arm 26 together comprise a sensing means adapted to energize the solenoid 22. When the inner end 29 of the rocker arm 26 is depressed, as shown in FIG. 5, so as to no longer touch the lower end of contact 31, the solenoid coil 23 is deenergized. Upon deenergization of the solenoid coil 23, the core 24 is partially withdrawn from the solenoid, in the direction of the points 10, by means of a horizontal coil spring 34 having one end fixed to the core 24 and its other end fixed to a bracket or guide 35 secured to the wall 16. The solenoid core 24 is prevented from being totally withdrawn from the coil 23 by means of a stop 36 affixed to a second bracket or guide 37 also mounted on the wall 16.

Pivotally mounted to the wall 16, by a-shoulder screw 40 is a second rocker arm 41 having a'r'etr'actable stripper element 42 aflixed to its outer end by means of a screw 39, said element 42 being disposed at-an outwardly inclined angle to the points 10. A verticalcoil spring 43 has its lower end affixed to the inner end' 44 of the rocker arm 41 and has its upper end aflixed to a suitable support in the wall 16. The spring 43 urges the inner end 44 of rocker arm 41 upward against adjustable stop 38 so as to normally position the retractable stripper element 42 in close proximity to the points (see FIGS. 2 and 4) whereby the knitted articles S impaled on the points 10 are automatically removed from the points, in the manner best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, as the dial revolves in the normal manner in a clockwise direction.

To assist in the removal of the knitted articles S from the points 10, there may be provided a separate stationary stripper element 45 adjacent the retractable stripper 42. The stationary stripper 45 serves as an extension of the retractable stripper 42, and is inclined at the same angle to the points 10. The stationary stripper 45 is aflixed by a screw 46 to a bracket 47 which, in turn, is affixed to the wall 16 by means of screws 49.

As a further aid to the removal of the knitted articles- S from the points 10, there may be provided, below the points 10, a flexible stripping wire 50 which is mounted to the underside of a bracket 51 by a screw 52. Bracket 51 is aflixed to the distal end of bracket 47 by a screw 48. It will be noted that the distal end of the wire 50 inclines inwardly at an angle to the points 10. Should a knitted article S not be completely stripped from the points 10 by the stripper elements 42 and 45, such article will strike the stripping wire 50 and thus be completely removed from the points as the points continue their clockwise movement.

It is to be particularly noted that the stationary stripper 45 and the stripping wire 50 are sufficiently spaced from the proximal ends of the points 10 to ensure that those stripping devices will not remove the knitted article S from the points when the retractable stripper 41 is raised, by means presently to be explained, in the manner shown in FIG. 7.

Rotatably mounted on the wall 16 above the rocker arm 41 is a cam 53, the periphery of which is formed with a plurality of cam rises or protuberances 54. Affixed to the inside surface of cam 53, so as to be disposed between the cam 53 and the wall 16, is a ratchet wheel 55. The cam 53 and the ratchet wheel 55 are secured together by screws 56 passing through appropriate slots in the cam. The slots in cam 53 through which the screws 56 pass permit relative axial adjustment between the cam and the ratchet wheel 55, thereby permitting adjustment in the timing of the cam. The cam 53 and the ratchet wheel 55 are rotatably mounted upon a shoulder screw 57 engaged in wall 16. A brake spring 58 is disposed between the head of the screw 57 and the outside surface of the cam 53.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, a projection 60 is affixed to the rocker arm 41 between its pivot 40 and its inner end 44. By means of spring 43, the inner end 44 of the rocker arm 41 is urged upwardly so that projection 4 60 at all times is disposed in contact with or in clos proximity to the periphery of the cam 53. The protuberances 54 of the cam 53 are designed to strike the projection 60 whereby the inner end 44 of the rocker arm 41 is depressed, as shown inFIG. 5, to thereby raise the retractable stripper element 42 and permit the oncoming knitted article to pass under that element as the dial 11 revolves, all as shown in FIG. 7.

Disposed above the ratchet wheel 55 is a ratchet pawl. 61 which is held in constant contact with the ratchet wheel 55 by means of a leaf spring 62 suitably afiixed to the wall 16. The ratchet pawl 61 is afiixed to a connecting: bar 63 which, in turn, is aflixed to the solenoid core 24. The connecting bar 63 is constrained for horizontal reciprocatory movement by means of the guides 35 and 37.

When the solenoid 22 is deenergized, its core 24 is partially withdrawn from the coil 23 by spring 34, with the result that the connecting bar 63 and the pawl 61 are moved outward, in the direction of the points 11 to thereby permit engagement of the pawl 61 with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 55, all as is clearly shown in FIG. 5. Upon energization of the solenoid 22, its core 24 is retracted into the coil 23 with consequent retraction of the connecting bar 63 and the ratchet pawl 61. By reason of the engagement of the pawl 61 with the tooth of the ratchet wheel 55, the ratchet wheel and cam 53 are thereby partially rotated clockwise in the manner shown in FIG. 4. It will be readily understood that the ratchet wheel 55 is so designed as to predetermine the extend of the arcuate interval through which cam- 53 is thus partially rotated when the solenoid core 24 is re tracted.

The operation of the device proceeds as follows. Upon the movement of a knitted article S under the sensing element 27, that element is raised with the result that the inner end 29 of the rocker arm 26 is depressed away from contact 31 to open the circuit to the solenoid 22, with resultant deenergiztaion of the coil 23 thereof. Upon deenergization of the solenoid coil 23, the solenoid core 24 is partially withdrawn from the solenoid by means of spring 34, with the result that the ratchet pawl 61 moves outward, in the manner shown in FIG. 5, to engage the uppermost tooth of the ratchet wheel 55. With the points 10 rotating in a clockwise direction, and with the retractablestripper 42 disposed in its normal position in close proximity to the points, the knitted article S will automatically be removed from the points in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

Upon passage of the knitted article S from under th sensing element 2.7, that element, due to the action of spring 28, will drop downward to its normal position in close proximity to the points 10 while at the same time the inner end 2? of the rocker arm 26 will rise to again touch the lower end of contact 31. As soon as the inner end 29 of the rocker arm 26 touches contact 31, the electrical circuit to the solenoid 22 is again completed. As a result, the solenoid coil 23 is energized with consequent retraction of the solenoid core 24 into the coil. Upon retraction of the solenoid core, the connecting rod 63 and the ratchet pawl 61 are retracted with consequent actuation or rotation of the ratchet wheel 55 and the cam 53 through a predetermined arcuate interval or distance, all as shown in FIG. 4. Whenever such movement of cam 53 causes one of the cam protuberances. 54 to strike the projection 60 on the rocker arm 41, the inner end 44 of that arm is depressed to thereby raise the retractable stripper 42 in the mannershown in FIGS. 5 and 7. When stripper 42 is thus retracted, the knitted article S is not removed from the points 10, but passes under the retractable stripper 42, remaining on the points 10 for subsequent removal.

It will be noted that the ratchet wheel 55 is formed with a total of 16 teeth whereas the cam 53 is formed with four spaced protuberance's 54. With such arrangement, three at of every four articles S looped on the machine 9 will be automatically removed from the points by the retractable stripper element 42, and the fourth article will pass under stripper 42 when it is retracted. In

, practice, the fourth article thus remaining on the points is removed by hand for inspection. As will be readily understood, the ratchet wheel 55 and the cam 53 may be so designed as to provide for any desired ratio between the knitted articles selected for inspection and those which are automatically dofied from the points 10.

A preferred electrical circuit for the automatic operation of the attachment of this invention is shown in FIG. 8. Such circuit includes a transformer 70, a thyratron tube 71, capacitances 72 and 73, and resistances 74 and 75, and is grounded through bracket 25. As shown, the electrical conductors 32 and 33 are electrically connected to the transformer 7t) and are also connected to opposite sides of the thyratron tube 71. Thus, whenever the rocker arm 26 makes contact with the contact 31, a circuit is completed to the control grid of thyratnon tube 71 to cause that tube to fire and thus pass an electric current through solenoid coil 23, thereby retracting solenoid core 24 with the mechanical results previously described.

As an alternative, contact 31 may be eliminated and conductor 32 may comprise a flexible conductor directly connected to the inner end 29 of rocker arm 26. In such modification, bracket 25 would be insulated from rocker arm 26, and sensing element 27 normally would be positioned so as to contact the points It and thereby ground the circuit. The retraction of sensing element 27 away from the points by an article S would break the circuit to thereby deenergize the solenoid coil 23. The re turn of the sensing element 27 to its normal position in contact with the points it would restore the circuit to again energize the solenoid coil 23.

In describing the preferred embodiment of this invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology has been utilized for the sake of clarity. It is not the intention to be limited to the specific terms selected herein, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been described in detail, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the automatic means comprises a solenoid connected to the cam means and sensing means adapted to energize the solenoid to actuate the cam means.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein an oscillatable rocker arm is provided on which the stripper element is mounted and wherein the cam means comprises a rotatable cam having a periphery with at least one protuberance formed thereon, said protuberance being adapted to actuate the rocker arm to retract thestripper element.

7. The combination of claim 6 further including means for returning the stripper element to its normal position.

8. The combination of claim 6 further including means for rotating the cam through predetermined arcuate intervals.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein .the solenoid includes a retractable core connected to the cam rotating means, said core being adapted to restract when the solenoid is energized to actuate the cam rotating means.

10. The combination of claim 9 further including means to partially withdraw the core from the solenoid when the solenoid coil is deenergized and wherein the sensing means normally is disposed in proximity to the points and is adapted to be retracted by the looped articles on the points to thereby deenergize the solenoid.

ll. The combination of claim 10 further including means for returning the sensing means to its normal pomodifications may be made therein Without departing I from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a dotting attachment and a knitwear looping machine having a revolvable dial the periphery of which is equipped with a plurality of points, said attachment including a retractable stripper element adjacent the points for removing looped articles from the points as the dial revolves, cam means for retracting the stripper element, and means automatically operative to actuate the cam means to retract the stripper element at predetermined intervals to permit selected looped articles to remain on the points for subsequent removal therefrom.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the automatic means comprises a solenoid connected to the camv means and sensing means adapted to energize the solenoid to actuate the cam means.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the sensing means normally is disposed in proximity to the points and is adapted to be retracted by the looped articles on the points to thereby deenergize the solenoid.

4. In combination, a dofling attachment and a knitwear looping machine having a revolvable dial with a plurality of points, said attachment comprising a support mounted adjacent to the points, a retractable stripper element mounted on the support and normally disposed in prox imity to the points to remove looped articles from the dial as the points revolves relative to the support, cam means for retracting the stripper element at periodic intervals to permit selected looped articles to remain on the points and means automatically operative to actuate the cam means at the periodic intervals to retract the stripper element.

sition.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the sensing means is electrically connected to the solenoid and wherein the sensing means is adapted, upon its return to its normal position, to complete an electric circuit to thereby energize the solenoid.

13. The combination of claim 4 further including stationary stripper means adjacent the stripper element to assist in removing the looped articles from the points.

14. In combination; a dot-ling attachment and a knitwear looping machine, said looping machine including a revolvable dial having a plurality of points protruding radially outwardly from its periphery and adapted to have looped articles suspended therefrom, said dotting attachment comprising: sensing means adjacent said points for sensing the presence or absence of a looped article on said points; a movable arm; means responsive to said sensing means for altering the position of said arm in accordance with whether said sensing means senses the presence or absence of a looped article on said points; a stripper normally adjacent said points but adapted to be retracted therefrom; camming means actuable by said movable arm; and. means coupling said stripper to said camming means for controlling the position of said stripper in accordance with the position of said camming means.

15. In combination; a dotting attachment and a knitwear looping machine, said looping machine including a revolvable dial having a plurality of points extending radially outwardly from its periphery, said points adapted to have looped articles suspended therefrom, said dofiing attachment comprising: sensing means adjacent said points for sensing the presence or absence of an article looped on said points; a solenoid having an energizable winding and a plunger; means coupling said sensing means to the winding of said solenoid for placing said solenoid in one or the other of two opposite states of energization according to the presence or absence of an article looped on said points, said plunger being movable in one direction or the other in response to each change of state; camming means coupled to and actuable by said plunger moving in one direction; a retractable stripper normally adjacent said points but adapted to be retracted therefrom; and means coupling said stripper to said camrning means for controlling the position or" said stripper in accordance with the position of the cam of said camming means.

16, 'In combination; a dotting attachment and a knit.-

9' wear looping machine, said looping machine having a revolvable dial having a plurality of points protruding radially outwardly from its periphery, said points being adapted to have looped articles looped thereon, said doffing attachment comprising: a restractable stripper normally fixed adjacent the path of movement of the inner portion of said points but adapted to be retracted therefrom; a solenoid having a plunger and a Winding; sensing means adjacent said path of movement of said inner portion of said points and movable in response to each beginning and each end of a unit article looped on said points; means coupling said sensing means to the winding of said solenoid for placing said solenoid in one state of energization in response to the sensing of the beginning of such article and in the other state of energization in response to the sensing of the end of such article on said points; carnming means; means coupling said camming means to theplunger of said solenoid for actuating said camming means rotationally a fraction of a complete rotation in response to each change in the energization of the Winding of said solenoid to said othere state; and means coupling said camming means to said stripper for controlling the position of said stripper in accordance with the position of said camming means.

17. The combination claimed in claim 16 characterized in that said carnming means includes a camming surface so shaped as to effect retraction of said stripper from its normal position a selected number of times during each complete rotation of said camming surface.

18. The combination claimed in claim 17 further characterized by the provision of a fixed stripper adjacent the path of movement ofthe outer portion only of said points for completing the removal of those articles which have been contacted by said retractable stripper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,062 Davis et al. Mar. 26, 1889 2,632,414 Lomax et a1. Mar. 24, 1953 2,749,857 Starnes June 12, 1956 2,868,147 Wood Jan. 13, 1959 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,999.,470 September 12 1961 Howard L Beamon It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction andrthat' the said Letters l ate'nt should read as corrected below. i

Column 4, line 75 for "or, read outcolumn 15 line 70, for "dial" read points, line '71 for "points" read --dial column 6, line 18 for "restract" read retract column 7, line 5 for Y'restractable" read retractable line 22 for "othere" read other Signed and sealed this 3rd day of April 1962,

(SEAL) Attest: ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

